The Second Will Chapter 05
Chloe Harrison was the first to speak.
“Alright, that settles it.”
She stood up, her gaze sweeping across the room like a homeowner inspecting a new property.
“Robert, let’s get someone to appraise this house later. We’ll see if it’s better to sell it or rent it out.”
Robert nodded.
“No rush, we could also just live here for a while.”
Eleanor put away her tissue and took out her phone to do some math.
“Mr. Sterling, what is the exact amount in Dad’s bank account?”
“Four hundred and twenty-eight thousand, six hundred.”
Eleanor’s eyes lit up.
“Great.”
No one looked at me.
Chloe walked up to me.
“Julian.”
Her tone carried a condescending gentleness.
“Don’t be too sad.
You’ve taken care of Dad these past few years, getting free room and board here, so you didn’t really spend any money, right?”
I looked at her.
“Dad’s pension has also been in your hands all these years. If you say you haven’t saved up a little something, who would believe it?”
She gave a small smile.
“So, all things considered, you didn’t lose out.”
I heard the sound of my own nails digging into my palms.
My aunt whispered, “Chloe, don’t say that…”
“Am I not telling the truth?”
Chloe turned to my aunt. “He’s been living off Dad for three years. Now that the will has been read, what more does he want?”
My second uncle put down his teacup. “Alright, alright, stop arguing.
William wrote the will himself, so we just need to follow it.”
My third uncle nodded. “Exactly, it’s what William wanted.”
No one said it was unfair.
Not a single one of them.
Robert stood up and walked over to me.
He patted my shoulder.
“Julian, Dad must have had his reasons for this arrangement.
Don’t overthink it.”
He paused.
“By the way, this house is mine now.
Your things… you should pack them up over the next couple of days.”
Chloe chimed in from behind.
“No rush. Three days should be enough for you, right?”
I looked up at Robert.
He had already turned away.
He went back to the sofa to discuss how to divide Dad’s furniture with Eleanor.
Three years.
1,095 days.
15,330 hours.
I changed over a thousand pee pads.
Cooked over three thousand meals.
Pushed him up and down the stairs over two thousand times.
My back was ruined.
My promotion was gone.
My girlfriend left me.
And in the end.
I was being kicked out of this house.
Given three days.
I stood up.
No one looked at me.
I walked toward the door.
Just as I reached the door, the lawyer’s voice rang out.
“Mr. Harrison, please wait.”
I stopped.
Everyone looked at the lawyer.
Leo pushed up his glasses.
“Before signing, I have a procedural reminder.”
He looked at Robert.
“Mr. Robert Harrison, do you confirm that you have signed the signature page?”
Robert froze for a second.
“I signed it. Didn’t I just sign it?”
“And Ms. Eleanor Harrison?”
“I signed it too.”
Eleanor said.
“Good.”
The lawyer nodded.
“Then—the signatures are effective.”
He reopened the folder.
“All terms of the will are now in effect.”
Robert frowned. “What do you mean?”
The lawyer didn’t answer.
He pulled a piece of paper from the folder.
“Everyone.”
He held up the piece of paper.
“The will has four pages in total.”
He looked around the room.
“I just read three pages.”
The living room fell silent.
“This is the fourth page.”
